The Road Less Traveled
by AndreaMarie
Summary: Piper, Phoebe, and Paige are going through some hard times and each must decide where they belong, even if it means leaving the ones they love. PiperLeo, PhoebeJason, PaigeRichard.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or the Characters.

The Road Less Traveled

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige are going through some hard times and each must decide where they belong, even if it means leaving the ones they love.

Piper's POV

I can't help but look at us and miss who we used to be. Leo and Piper. God, we could do anything. We battled the Elders and fought for our love, but now here we are-apart. We've created two beautiful boys, but they don't have a family. I look to the ceiling and mutter his name...."Leo"......as if I can somehow will him here. I half expect to see the blue orbs, but they never come. Once again I look at our picture and I silently cry for the life I once had.

Phoebe's POV

I'm looking at the computer screen trying to think of something to write for tomorrow's collumn. If I don't get this in on time, Elise is going to kill me! I pick up a letter and begin to read......"Dear Phoebe, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place........" I think to myself, "aren't we all???" I tell myself to focus and continue reading....."My boyfriend and I just broke up because he says he can't deal with the way I live my life." As I finish reading the article, I desperately try to come up with some sort of advice..........Nothing. "Why can't I concentrate?!" I yell. Then it hits me. The reason I can't concentrate is sitting right in front of me.......Jason. It's been a while since we ended things, but I still can't bear to take the picture of us off my desk. I've tried three times, but it always seems to find it's way back. I pick up the frame and stare at us. We were so happy. I hate the way we left things. If only he had stuck around longer, he could have adjusted to me being a witch. I tried to date other people, but in my heart, I knew no one would ever compare to Jason.

Paige's POV

As I sit in my car staring at the mansion in front of me, I say to myself, "this is ridiculous Paige." I shouldn't be here, yet I find myself driving by or sitting in front his house every day. I can't let him go for some reason, but at the same time I know we cannot be together. There is too much working against us. We thought it would be okay, but it wasn't. I was hurting him more than anything, and I couldn't stand that. He deserves someone who allows him to be who he really is. But I want that someone to be me. Suddenly I realize that I'm crying. I quickly wipe the tears from my face. "Stop it," I tell myself. But to my surprise the tears keep coming and before long I am sobbing. "I love you Richard," I say as I drive home.


	2. Sisterly love

Chapter 2- sisterly love

Piper stood in the kitchen and gazed out the window. Aside from her gloomy feelings, it really was a nice day outside. A good day to take the kids to the park. Seeing the boys happy always lifted her spirits.

"What are ya thinking about?" Phoebe asked as she came downstairs. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail and she looked like she hadn't slept all night.

"Oh you know, the usual. Leo, the kids. Same old thing."

"Piper why don't you just talk to him?" Phoebe asked.

"I can't. It's like he's a different person. A year ago he would have been right here with me, watching Wyatt play or sharing a muffin, but now....he's just so distant."

"But maybe he needs you to reach out to him Piper. That could be the only way he'll ever come around. Wyatt and Chris deserve to have their father."

"Don't you think I know that?" Piper asked, a little defensive. "But it's going to take a lot more than just me to convince him to come back."

Phoebe put her arm around her sister and gave her a reassuring hug. "Well whatever you need you know I'm here for you."

"Thanks Pheebs," Piper said, noticing that Phoebe looked stressed herself. "What about you? Anything you need to talk about?"

"As much as I hate to say this, it's the same old thing with me too. You know I thought I was getting over Jason, but I was reading this letter and it sounded just like us. I realized that I couldn't give this person advice, because I need the advice just as much. It's stupid, I know."

"Aw, Phoebe, it's not stupid. You and Jason loved each other. It was real, you sensed that even before he did. Of course you're upset. The way he left had to be hard. Maybe you need to talk to him."

Phoebe looked at Piper with a disgusted look. "I've tried and every time the phone rings I hang up. I don't know what to say. I mean I can't just say, "hey Jason, I know I'm a witch, but we could still be together." He doesn't understand. To him, I'm some freak who says rhymes and makes things happen."

"A freak who says rhymes and makes things happen?" Piper said with a smile.

"You know what I mean!" Phoebe said with a little laugh. It was easier to laugh about her problems, that way she didn't really have to face them.

Just then the front door opened and closed. Phoebe and Piper looked at each other and then at the clock.

"Is that Paige?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know, but if it is she didn't come home all night. It's only six and there is no way Paige was up and out this early," Piper replied.

Paige was trying to sneak up the stairs without being seen, when she heard her sister's.

"Paige? Are you just coming home?" Phoebe asked.

"Uh, yeah, I had a late night," Paige said. She tried to keep her head turned in the other direction. Her eyes always swelled and got red after she cried, and she didn't want her sisters to see that she was upset.

"Where were you?" Piper asked.

"No where really. I just went for a drive."

"An all night drive?" Phoebe questioned.

Paige rolled her eyes. She was not good at lying to her sisters, but she didn't want to tell them where she had been. They had enought problems of their own, they didn't need to worry about her's as well.

"I just needed a night to myself," Paige said. "I'm gonna go to bed, it's been a long night. Wake me if you need me."

"Paige, look at me," Piper demanded. She knew when something was wrong with her baby sister, and she was not letting Paige off the hook.

"Why?" Paige questioned.

"Because I'm your big sister and I said so."

Reluctantly, Paige turned to face her sisters. She tried to put on a smile, but instead she just started crying again.

"Honey what's the matter?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing," she replied. Paige hated showing her emotions in front of people, and she couldn't believe she had just broken down like that.

"Nothing doesn't cause you to cry," Piper said pulling her sister into a hug. "What is going on with you?"

"Come on, you can tell us," Phoebe said.

"Richard," was all Paige could say.

Piper and Phoebe looked at one another and then back to Paige.

"I thought I was over him, but I keep going past his house and I so badly want to see him."

"You know what guys, I think it's time we stop giving each other advice and we follow our hearts," Phoebe said.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"I mean, you go talk to Leo, I'll go talk to Jason, and Paige, you go talk to Richard."

"I can't," Piper and Paige said at the same time.

"Look at us. We're a mess. We need to deal with our own lives before we can do anything good for anyone else," Phoebe said.

The sister's thought about it and decided Phoebe was right. How could they move on with their lives without confronting their feelings. With that said, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige set out to put the pieces of their lives back together.

A/N: okay, there's the first two chapters. Should I continue?? Thanks for the reading!


	3. Broken Family

Ch. 3- Broken Family

Piper's POV

I hoped Phoebe was right about confronting our feelings. I so badly wanted to talk to Leo, but I was afraid of what his reaction might be. He had been through a lot the past few months, and I feared this might push him over the edge. But my boys needed their dad, and for them I would do anything.

"Leo, I need you," I yelled. I knew he would come if he thought I was in some sort of trouble. Sure enough the blue orbs appeared and there he was. For a second I just stood there and stared at him. He looked tired, and somewhat older.

"What is it?" he asked, looking around trying to see what the trouble was.

"Leo....we need to talk," I said drawing in a deep breath.

"I have to go," he said and began to orb out.

"No!" I yelled. "Leo don't do this!"

To my surprise he orbed back in. "Piper, I don't have time for this," he said.

"You don't have the time for your family?" I asked him. "You don't have time for those two boys downstairs?"

"Are they okay?"

"They miss their daddy. Wyatt keeps looking at your picture and asking where his daddy is. Do you think that's okay?" I asked him.

"Piper, we've been over this. I _can't_ be their father right now."

"You can't just quit being their father Leo. They need you."

"They have you and your sisters. They'll be fine," Leo said looking down at the ground. The truth was, it killed him not to be with his boys, but he didn't trust himself.

"What about me?" I asked him. "What if I need you?" Leo looked a little surprised by my words, and to be honest, I was too.

"You don't need me. You need to move on with your life. You deserve better."

"I deserve a family. A family with you and our boys. Leo, I can help you but you have to let me in," I said, urging him to confide in me.

"Piper I can't," Leo said.

"Dammit Leo! What happened to you? You used to be my best friend. There was nothing we couldn't tell each other. Just let me help you," I was starting to get aggravated with him. How could Leo just walk away from us?

"Don't you think I want to let you in? I want to have my life back. I want my family back, but it can't happen Piper!" Leo yelled.

"Why? Tell me why you can't come back to us," I asked.

"Piper, I killed an Elder! I can't trust myself around anyone, but most of all around the boys or with you. I'm afraid I'll hurt you guys and I could never live with myself if that happened."

"You're hurting us by not being with us. Just try Leo, please come back to us," I pleaded as I wiped a tear from my eye. Leo's eyes were also filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just can't."

With that, Leo orbed out, leaving me alone.


End file.
